Round Stone Crest Hello Mother, Hello Father

A chill electrified her spine as he stooped to meet her gaze. Looking an Asurn in the eyes... she had no death wish. The subordinate glanced away as he started speaking, but she had already taken in the compassion on his face; something strange and alien. His words were stranger still. He thought she... did? What!? It was enough to bring her eyes back up. This whole thing was so weird. Words she'd never once in her life had the fortune to hear; yet had all the while yearned for spilled from his black lips. How could she possibly reconcile what she knew as his nature, as the nature of her whole family, with what was occurring now? Somewhere in her brain she knew this was manipulation; she knew they were good at getting what they wanted so long as it was within the bounds of law. He was playing her, toying with her, but all the same her inner self wanted it badly. He wasn't even her parent, or one of her siblings, but it was good enough coming from any of them – even a bad-tempered pup. She knew the only way he could be out here and still loyal to the family was that he'd been sent ahead. They deemed him worthy of the task and that alone was a show of his power and how the family regarded him. A wolf of stature was telling her this. But what did she care for the ranks of the Asurns anyways? Had she not cut all ties and disowned her last name to spite them? To get away?  The confusion shown on her face as poorly withheld shock. What on earth was she supposed to come back with? The lack of focus in her yellow eyes spoke of just how deeply sunken into her own mind the pack wolf was. She couldn't bring herself to call him out, to blatantly reject any praise as coming from the mouth of a beast. Why? Because she wanted it. The paler woman still yearned for them to take back all their insults; to reevaluate her and judge her differently. Their voices were still the ones that tore her down inside for any mistake. There was no escaping them. But Raela did not want it badly enough to go back on the woman that may have saved her life when the Asurns left her for dead.  She needed to get back to them. The fact that this snake was so close to their territory, that he had found this region at all was cause for alarm. They would come for it. Who knows what havoc Eirian could wreak from just outside their borders? Yes. She needed to leave this situation. Now. Her orbs flickered back and forth across the ground as the woman fought to find the words. “I'll go back to them,” she said, hardening her gaze. At least one thing was true – she wouldn't sit back in third while a smaller, meeker wolf reigned as second. It was nothing personal; no ill-will, just the law of nature. She ought to move up. For the strength of the pack. Cessair could understand. “I won't be third much longer,” she added, slowly beginning to turn from him. An ear leaned back to catch any attempt at pursuit, or any parting gifts delivered by fang.  Hopefully it would be just enough to satisfy him. Just enough to get her out of there before he changed his mind. The deer were forgotten as she adopted a steady lope. She had to speak to her leaders right away. The Asurns had come.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra